Category Archives: Sports

Fans Will Be Back Because the NHL is Home

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By Jason Menard

Will NHL fans come flocking back to the league? Absolutely — it’s part of who we are and it’s part of what makes us a community.

I was asked this question yesterday by an old friend Scott Kitching on Blackburn Radio and I replied honestly: some fans may want to play hard ball, but once they start seeing the previous night’s highlights on TV, hearing the fans banter on sports talk radio, or overhearing the annual debates around the watercooler, they’ll want to be part of the action again.

Being an NHL fan isn’t just a choice — it’s a feeling.

And while I said and believed it yesterday; today I felt it for the first time in a long time. Continue reading →

NHL Fans? Relax, It’s Just Business

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By Jason Menard,

It’s a day of mixed emotions for many NHL fans — they’re thrilled the league has resolved its differences and brought the lockout to an end, but they’re equally angry at both the owners and the players for depriving them of their game — and they don’t know how to react.

The answer? Fans just have to remember, this wasn’t personal — it’s just business. Continue reading →

Canada and Hockey? Doing Just Fine, Thanks

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By Jason Menard

For a country that’s known for quiet pride, politeness, and generally being unassuming on a global scale, when it comes to hockey, we can crank up the hyperbole machine with the best of them.

Don’t be surprised by a rise in carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of all the national hand-wringing brought about by the combination of the National Hockey League’s lock-out and a fourth-place finish by our under-20 squad at the World Junior Hockey Championship. Continue reading →

Obnoxious Sports, Pretentious Arts Enthusiasts Two Sides of Same Coin

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By Jason Menard

To quote one of Canada’s finest bands, Sloan, “it’s not the band I hate, it’s their fans.” And though you’ll likely never get them to agree to it, supporters of sports and the arts are often two sides of the same obnoxious coin.

First, an admission of guilt. I was once an arts’ snob: I judged certain music, literature, and art forms as somehow less worthy than others. I was at the same time an obnoxious sporto, judging people by the teams they supported.

All that to say that I’m now reformed (almost. I still think you Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans need to go get help). Continue reading →

Enough is Enough an Insult to Those Who Drew Strength from Lance

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By Jason Menard

It’s too tough. I’m going to pack up my bags and go home.

Yeah, that sounds like Lance Armstrong. You know, the man who for years embodied perseverance, fighting against the odds and winning. Those words are the words of a man who survived cancer and came back to win seven Tour de France titles.

If that doesn’t define a man who folds when things get tough, then I don’t know what does. Continue reading →